Apparatus for securing connection between cable assembly and storage device connector

ABSTRACT

A disclosed connector latch for latching a cable assembly to a connector includes a substantially planar body and has a width approximately equal to the cable assembly width. The connector latch includes a retention clip comprising first and second tabs. Each tab extends the latch body and terminates at a flange displaced above the latch body by a thickness of the cable assembly. The connector latch includes a clamp with first and second branches. Each branch includes a middle portion pivotally coupled to the latch body, a fang at a distal end of each branch, and pinch plates at a proximal end of each branch. The branches are configured with an unbiased state in which they engage a distal edge of a connector connected to the cable. The mass storage device may be an M.2 solid state drive and the device connector may be a serial ATA connector.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to information handling systems. Morespecifically, disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods forsecuring a cable assembly coupled to a device connector.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

Information handling systems frequently include a motherboard on whichone or more processors, e.g., central processing units, general purposemicroprocessors, etc., are attached. The motherboard generally includesone or more connectors for coupling one or more persistent mass storagedevices to the one or more processors.

A Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drive is an example of an industrystandard persistent mass storage device. An information handling systemthat employs SATA drives may have a motherboard that includes one ormore SATA-compliant connectors integrated on the motherboard. At leastone embodiment of a SATA connector, referred to herein as a latchlessconnector, does not have any latching elements or features to maintainthe data storage device in secure connection with the connector.

While latchless connectors are highly functional with respect to SATAhard disk drives, the absence of latching features may result inconnections that are loose, unstable, or otherwise unreliable when usedin conjunction with other types of storage devices.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure,disadvantages and problems associated with traditional approaches toconnecting data storage devices to a device connector are substantiallyreduced or eliminated.

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a connectorlatch suitable for securing a connection between a cable assembly and adevice connector includes a latch body, a retention clip, and a clampreferred to herein as a biased clamp.

The latch body may be substantially planar and may include a rectangularcentral portion. A width of the latch body may equal or closelyapproximate a corresponding width of the cable assembly to be latched.The latch body may further include triangular structures, referred toherein as cat ear structures, including a first ear extending from thebody core at the first end of the latch body and a second ear extendingfrom the body core at the second end of the latch body. In at least oneembodiment, the latch body may be sized to accommodate a cable assemblysuitable for coupling to an SATA connector.

The retention clip may include a pair of tabs located on opposite endsof the latch body. Each tab may extend perpendicularly from a plane ofthe latch body. Each tab may terminate at a flange that is parallel toand displaced from or above the latch body by a distance approximatelyequal to a thickness of the cable assembly. In this manner, theretention tabs may maintain a cable assembly in contact with the latchbody.

The clamp may include a pair of opposing arms or branches. Each branchmay include a middle portion that is pivotally coupled to acorresponding pivot point of a latch body, a fang at a distal end of theeach branch, and a pinch plate at a proximal end of each branch. Thefirst and second branches may be sized and oriented to occupy or exhibitan engaged state when no force or bias is applied to the latch. In theengaged state, the fangs at the distal ends of the two branches engage afar edge of a motherboard I/O connector, e.g., an SATA connector. Whenthe latch is biased by squeezing or otherwise forcing the pinch platestogether or towards each other, the branches rotate around the pivotpoints and away from the engaged position such that the latch no longerengages the far end of the motherboard I/O connector.

Each of the branches may include a comparatively small stem connectedbetween the pivot point and the middle point of the branch. The stem maycause the distal end fangs to rotate through a greater angulardisplacement than the pinch plates so that only a small displacement ofthe pinch plates is needed to “open” or “unlock” that latch. Each of thebranches may include an L-shaped portion connected between the middleportion and an edge of the first pinch plate.

Technical advantages of the present disclosure may be apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art in view of the following specification,claims, and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantagesthereof may be acquired by referring to the following description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a motherboard and a data storage device of aninformation handling system;

FIG. 2 illustrates an I/O connector of the motherboard of FIG. 1 inperspective view with the data storage device removed from view;

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustrate a cable assembly for connecting analternative data storage device to the I/O connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4A illustrates the cable assembly of FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B connectedto the I/O connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4B illustrates an unintended or inadvertent disconnection betweenthe cable assembly and the I/O connector;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B illustrate perspective views of a connector latch;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the section line A-A ofFIG. 5A;

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B illustrate a connector latch attached to a cableassembly; and

FIG. 8 illustrates the cable assembly and connector latch connected to adevice connector in accordance with disclosed teachings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood byreference to FIGS. 1-8, wherein like numbers are used to indicate likeand corresponding parts.

For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system mayinclude any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operableto compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate,switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, orutilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business,scientific, control, entertainment, or other purposes. For example, aninformation handling system may be a personal computer, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a consumer electronic device, a network datastorage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size,shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handlingsystem may include memory, one or more processing resources such as acentral processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic.Additional components of the information handling system may include oneor more data storage devices, one or more communications ports forcommunicating with external devices as well as various input and output(I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. Theinformation handling system may also include one or more buses operableto transmit communication between the various hardware components.

In this disclosure, the term “information handling resource” may broadlyrefer to any component system, device or apparatus of an informationhandling system, including without limitation processors, buses,memories, input-output devices and/or interfaces, storage resources,network interfaces, motherboards, electro-mechanical devices (e.g.,fans), displays, and power supplies.

FIG. 1 illustrates elements of an information handling system 100. Theinformation handling system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes amotherboard 102 on which central processing unit (CPU) 101 is coupled toa chip set device 103. The chip set device 103 of FIG. 1 includes aninterface for connecting to motherboard I/O connector 120. FIG. 1further illustrates a data storage device 110 which may be coupled tomotherboard 102 via motherboard I/O connector 120. References to datastorage devices may refer specifically to non-volatile, random access,mass storage devices including, as two prominent but non-limitingexamples, a magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive(SSD).

In at least one embodiment, motherboard I/O connector 120 is a serialATA (SATA) connector and the illustrated data storage device 110 mayrepresent a conventional SATA HDD. It should be appreciated however,that subject matter disclosed herein is applicable to devices and deviceconnectors generally and not just to data storage devices andconnectors. Similarly, disclosed subject matter may apply to interfaceprotocols other than SATA. In general, disclosed subject matteraddresses any device-connector interface that lacks means to restrain orresist separation of the device and the connector.

FIG. 2 illustrates motherboard I/O connector 120 in perspective viewwith no storage device connected. The motherboard I/O connector 120illustrated in FIG. 2 includes first and second guideposts 122-1 and122-2 to facilitate the receiving and aligning of a complementaryconnector. The motherboard I/O connector 120 of FIG. 2 defines first andsecond slots 124-1 and 124-2, each of which includes a set ofinterconnect pins 125. The position and shape of slots 124 defines theposition and shape of complementary elements of a connector to whichmotherboard I/O connector 120 may be connected. The slots 124illustrated in FIG. 2 are asymmetrically configured such that acomplementary set of connector blades (not depicted in FIG. 2) willalign with slots 124 of motherboard I/O connector 120 in only oneorientation.

The first slot 124-1 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a horizontal portion127-1 and a vertical portion 128-1 extending perpendicular to horizontalportion 127-1 from an interior end of horizontal portion 127-1. Thesecond slot 124-2 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a horizontal portion127-2 and a vertical portion 128-2 extending perpendicular to horizontalportion 127-2 from an interior end of horizontal portion 127-2.

Other embodiments of device connectors 120 may include more or fewerslots 124, slots of different shapes than slots 124 and slots indifferent positions than the slots 124. The slots 124 may comprise SATAcompliant slots having a location, size, and shape in compliance with anSATA interconnect standard. Other embodiments of slots 124 may complywith a different interconnect standard.

Those of ordinary skill in the field of interconnects and interconnectstandards will readily appreciate that, although motherboard I/Oconnector 120 includes elements that facilitate a properly alignedconnection with a complementary connector, motherboard I/O connector 120lacks any element or mechanism for preventing the two connectors, onceconnected, from subsequently separating or otherwise becomingdisconnected.

FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustrate two perspective views of a cable assembly130 suitable for connecting to motherboard I/O connector 120. The cableassembly 130 illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B includes a frame 131that receives cables 133 and routes signals carried via each cable 133to one or more electrically conductive fingers 135 on one or more blades134.

The frame 131 illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B includes first andsecond blades posts 132-1 and 132-2 that align with the guide posts122-1 and 122-2 of motherboard I/O connector 120. The blades 134 of thecable assembly 130 illustrated in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are positioned,shaped, and sized to complement slots 124 of the motherboard I/Oconnector 120 in FIG. 2 so that blades 134 may be received within slots124 with connector pins 125 in electrical contact with correspondingfingers 135 when motherboard I/O connector 120 and cable assembly 130are properly connected.

FIG. 4A illustrates cable assembly 130 connected to motherboard I/Oconnector 120 wherein a front edge 121 of motherboard I/O connector 120is in contact with a front edge 132 of frame 131. A back edge 122 ofmotherboard I/O connector 120 is shown in FIG. 4A for later reference.As suggested in the description of FIG. 2, the lack of a mechanism toprevent separation of motherboard I/O connector 120 and cable assembly130 may result in the inadvertent disconnection of motherboard I/Oconnector 120 and cable assembly 130. FIG. 4B illustrates an inadvertentdisconnection 141 of motherboard I/O connector 120 and cable assembly130. The disconnection 141 illustrated in FIG. 4B is an example of apartial disconnection, in which cable assembly 130 is physicallydetached from motherboard I/O connector 120 at one end while remainingconnected at an opposite end. Although FIG. 4B illustrates disconnection141 as a partial disconnection, motherboard I/O connector 120 and cableassembly 130 may become entirely disconnected in other instances.

Disconnection 141 results in an unintended and undesirable faultcondition in a data storage device (not depicted in FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B)in which the data storage device becomes inaccessible or transmits oneor more incorrect or invalid signals to a processor or other device onmotherboard 102 until motherboard I/O connector 120 and cable assembly130 are re-connected. In at least one embodiment, a disclosed connectorlatch beneficially maintains motherboard I/O connector 120 and cableassembly 130 in contact with one another without impacting the design ofeither motherboard I/O connector 120 or cable assembly 130.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are perspective views of opposite faces of aconnector latch 150 in accordance with disclosed teachings. FIG. 6 is asectional view of FIG. 5A taken along section line A-A. The connectorlatch 150 illustrated in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5B includes a substantiallyplanar latch body 151 wherein a width (W) of latch body 151 accommodatesa width of the cable assembly frame 131 (FIG. 3A).

The connector latch 150 of FIG. 5A includes a retention clip 152 thatincludes a first tab 153-1 at a first lateral end of latch body 151 anda second tab 153-2 at a second lateral end of latch body 151. Asdepicted in FIG. 6, each tab 153 extends substantially perpendicularfrom latch body 151 and terminates in a flange 154 displaced from latchbody 151 by a displacement H, where H is equal to or substantially equalto a thickness of the frame 131.

The connector latch 150 illustrated in FIG. 5A further includes a clamp155 that includes a pair of branches 156-1 and 156-2. Each branch 156illustrated in FIG. 5A includes a middle portion 158 pivotally coupledto a pivot point 160. Terminal ends of the branches 156 of FIG. 5Aterminate in a pair of opposing fangs 159. A proximal end of each branch156 illustrated in FIG. 5A forms a pinch plate 162. The pair of pinchplates 162 may be squeezed or pinched together to “open” clamp 155 bythe opposing rotations of branches 156 about their respective pivotpoints 160.

The branches 156-1 and 156-2 illustrated in FIG. 5a are sized andoriented to engage, when unbiased, a back edge 122 of a motherboard I/Oconnector 120 (shown in dashed line) when connector latch 150 isattached to a cable assembly 130 and the cable assembly 130 is connectedto motherboard I/O connector 120. When clamp 155 is biased by a usersqueezing or pinching the pinch plates 162 towards each other, fangs 159rotate about pivot point 160 in opposing directions to disengage backedge 122 of motherboard I/O connector 120. The branches 156 illustratedin FIG. 5A include a stem 164 that extends between pivot point 160 andmiddle portion 158. The stem 164 displaces midpoint 158 sufficientlyfrom a lateral edge of latch body 151 wherein branch 156 liessubstantially along a line that forms an acute angle 165 relative to alateral edged for latch body 151. The orientation of branch 156 resultsin a fang 159 that engages edge 122 with no force applied to pinchplates 162.

The branches 156 illustrated include an L-shaped member couplingmidpoint 158 to pinch plate 162. The L-shaped structure is oriented toreduce the displacement between pinch plates 162 and to constrain theoverall lateral dimension of the assembly as shown.

Due to the angled orientation of first and second branches 156-1 and156-2, the first and second fangs 159 are closer together than themiddle portions 158 when the claim is unbiased, i.e., no force appliedto the pinch plates 162. Similarly, the orientation of the L-shapedmember results in a displacement between the pinch plates 162 that isless than a displacement between the middle portions 158. As illustratedin FIG. 5A, the unbiased displacement between the pinch plates 162 isequal or approximately equal to the unbiased displacement between fangs159. In other embodiments, the unbiased displacement between the fangs159 may be greater than or less than the unbiased displacement betweenthe pinch plates 162.

The latch body 151 shown in FIG. 5B includes a substantially rectangularbody core 167 to which a pair of triangular “cat ear” structures 166extending from upper boundaries of the body core at opposing lateralends of the body core 166. The latch body 151 and the branches 156 maybe sized to engage an SATA motherboard I/O connector 120 when a cableassembly 130 is connected to the motherboard I/O connector 120. In theseembodiments, the cable assembly 130 may connect to a form or type ofdata storage device other than an SATA HDD. For example, a cableassembly 130 may connect an M.2 PCIe SSD to motherboard I/O connector120 and, in these embodiments, the connector latch 150 may beneficiallymaintain cable assembly 130 in contact with motherboard I/O connector120 during system operation without modification. The latch body 151illustrated in FIG. 5A includes alignment structures 161 to facilitateproper alignment when connector latch 150 is attached to a cableassembly (see FIG. 7A).

Although depicted as fixed-size elements in the illustrated examples,embodiments of connector latch 150 may support adjustable size elementsthat determine various dimensions of connector latch 150. Asnon-limiting examples, a width and height of latch body 151 may beadjustable to accommodate different sizes of cable assembly 130 and/ormotherboard I/O connector 120. Similarly, each branch 156 may beextendible to adjust the displacement from midpoint 158 to fang 159.Connector latch 150 may be made of a plastic, hard rubber, or othersuitable material that has sufficient rigidity as well as sufficientflexibility to enable tabs 153 of retention clip 152 to deflectsufficiently to receive a cable assembly 130 and to enable arms 156 torotate sufficiently around pivot point 160 to engage a motherboard I/Oconnector 120.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate perspective views of a cable assembly 130attached to a connector latch 150. FIG. 7A illustrates retention cliptabs 153 engaging frame 131 and the fangs 159 of each branch 156 ofconnector latch 150 extending to a position suitable for engaging a faredge of a motherboard I/O connector 120 when the combined apparatus isconnected to a motherboard I/O connector 120. FIG. 7A furtherillustrates that, in the depicted embodiment, circular alignmentstructures 161 on latch body 151 align to corresponding alignmentnotches 136 formed in cable assembly frame 131.

FIG. 8 depicts the combined apparatus of FIGS. 7A and 7B connected to amotherboard I/O connector 120 on a motherboard 102. FIG. 8 particularlyillustrates fangs 159 of branches 156 of connector latch 150 engaging afar edge 122 of motherboard I/O connector 120 while frame 131 of cableassembly 130 is retained in contact with motherboard I/O connector 120.

In this manner, the large installed base of systems employing with SATAdevice connectors analogous to motherboard I/O connector 120 may beemployed with smaller and faster storage devices including, as onenon-limiting example, M.2 PCIe SSDs without modifying either themotherboard I/O connector 120 in the system or the cable assembly 130for connecting the storage device. FIG. 8 illustrates data storagedevice 110 comprising an M.2 PCIe SSD 108, which is coupled to a CPU 101on motherboard 102 via cable assembly 130 and motherboard I/O connector120.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it shouldbe understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations canbe made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of thedisclosure as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A connector latch for maintaining a connectionbetween a cable assembly and a motherboard I/O connector, the connectorlatch comprising: a substantially planar latch body wherein a width ofthe latch body accommodates a width of the cable assembly; a retentionclip comprising: a first tab at a first end of the latch body, extendingperpendicularly from the latch body and terminating in a first flangedisplaced from the latch body by a tab displacement approximately equalto a thickness of the cable assembly; and a second tab at a second endof the latch body, extending perpendicularly from the latch body andterminating in a second flange displaced from the latch body by the tabdisplacement; and a clamp comprising: a first branch, comprising: amiddle portion pivotally coupled to a first pivot point of the latchbody; a first fang at a distal end of the first branch; and a firstpinch plate at a proximal end of the first branch; and a second branch,comprising: a middle portion pivotally coupled to a second pivot pointof the latch body; a second fang at a distal end of the second branch;and a second pinch plate at a proximal end of the second branch; whereinthe connector latch attached together with the cable assembly and thefirst branch and the second branch are sized and oriented to engage,with the first fang and the second fang, a far edge of the motherboardI/O connector wherein the first branch and the second branch bothinclude an L-shaped structure, coupled between the middle portion andthe pinch plate, oriented wherein the first and second pinch plates arecloser together than the middle portion of the first branch and middleportion of the second branch when the clamp is unbiased.
 2. Theconnector latch of claim 1, wherein the first branch and the secondbranch are configured to disengage the far edge of the motherboard I/Oconnector when the clamp is biased by forcing the first pinch plate andthe second pinch plate towards each other.
 3. The connector latch ofclaim 1, wherein the first branch includes a first stem extendingbetween the first pivot point and the middle portion.
 4. The connectorlatch of claim 1, wherein the latch body includes a substantiallyrectangular body core.
 5. The connector latch of claim 4, wherein thelatch body includes cat ear structures including a first ear extendingfrom the latch body core at the first end of the latch body and a secondear extending from the latch body core at the second end of the latchbody.
 6. The connector latch of claim 1, wherein the motherboard I/Oconnector comprises a serial ATA (SATA) connector and wherein the cableassembly is configured to couple a solid state drive to the SATAconnector.
 7. An information handling system including: a motherboardincluding: a central processing unit; and an I/O connector; a datastorage device; a cable assembly suitable for connecting to the I/Oconnector to couple the data storage device to the central processingunit; and a connector latch configured to prevent separation of the I/Oconnector and the cable assembly, wherein the connector latch comprises:a latch body wherein a width of the latch body accommodates a width ofthe cable assembly; a retention clip comprising: a first tab at a firstend of the latch body, extending perpendicularly from the latch body andterminating in a first flange displaced from the latch body by a tabdisplacement approximately equal to a thickness of the cable assembly;and a second tab at a second end of the latch body, extendingperpendicularly from the latch body and terminating in a second flangedisplaced from the latch body by the tab displacement; and a clampcomprising: a first branch, comprising: a middle portion pivotallycoupled to a first pivot point of the latch body; a first fang at adistal end of the first branch; and a first pinch plate at a proximalend of the first branch; and a second branch, comprising: a middleportion pivotally coupled to a second pivot point of the latch body; asecond fang at a distal end of the second branch; and a second pinchplate at a proximal end of the second branch; wherein the connectorlatch attached together with the cable assembly and the first branch andthe second branch are sized and oriented to engage, with the first fangand the second fang, a far edge of the motherboard I/O connector;wherein the first branch and the second branch both include an L-shapedstructure, coupled between the middle portion and the pinch plate,oriented wherein the first and second pinch plates are closer togetherthan the middle portion of the first branch and middle portion of thesecond branch when the clamp is unbiased.
 8. The information handlingsystem of claim 7, wherein the first branch and the second branch aresized and oriented to disengage the far edge of the I/O connector whenbiased by forcing the first pinch plate and the second pinch platestowards each other.
 9. The information handling system of claim 7,wherein the first branch includes a first stem extending between thefirst pivot point and the middle portion.
 10. The information handlingsystem of claim 7, wherein the first fang and the second fang are closertogether than the middle portion of the first branch and the middleportion of the first branch when the clamp is unbiased.
 11. Theinformation handling system of claim 7, wherein the latch body includescat ear structures including a first ear extending from a substantiallyrectangular latch body core at the first end of the latch body and asecond ear extending from the latch body core at the second end of thelatch body.
 12. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein thedata storage device comprises a solid state drive.
 13. The informationhandling system of claim 12, wherein the solid state drive comprises anM.2 solid state drive.
 14. The information handling system of claim 13,wherein the I/O connector comprises a serial ATA connector.
 15. Anapparatus for use in an information handling system, the apparatuscomprising: a cable assembly including a cable connector suitable forconnecting to an I/O connector of a motherboard; and a connector latchconfigured to prevent separation of the I/O connector and the cableconnector, wherein the connector latch comprises: a latch body wherein awidth of the latch body accommodates a width of the cable assembly; aretention clip comprising: a first tab at a first end of the latch body,extending perpendicularly from the latch body and terminating in a firstflange displaced from the latch body by a tab displacement approximatelyequal to a thickness of the cable assembly; and a second tab at a secondend of the latch body, extending perpendicularly from the latch body andterminating in a second flange displaced from the latch body by the tabdisplacement; and a clamp comprising: a first branch, comprising: amiddle portion pivotally coupled to a first pivot point of the latchbody; a first fang at a distal end of the first branch; and a firstpinch plate at a proximal end of the first branch; and a second branch,comprising: a middle portion pivotally coupled to a second pivot pointof the latch body; a second fang at a distal end of the second branch;and a second pinch plate at a proximal end of the second branch; whereinthe first branch and the second branch are sized and oriented to engage,with the first fang and the second fang, a far edge of the motherboardI/O connector wherein the connector latch attached together with thecable assembly and the first branch and the second branch are sized andoriented to engage, with the first fang and the second fang, a far edgeof the motherboard I/O connector; wherein the first branch and thesecond branch both include an L-shaped structure, coupled between themiddle portion and the pinch plate, oriented wherein the first andsecond pinch plates are closer together than the middle portion of thefirst branch and middle portion of the second branch when the clamp isunbiased.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the latch bodyincludes: a substantially rectangular body core; and cat ear structuresincluding a first ear extending from the latch body core at the firstend of the latch body and a second ear extending from the latch bodycore at the second end of the latch body.